


Skin Rituals

by QianLan



Series: Soulmates [2]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-14
Updated: 2016-11-10
Packaged: 2018-08-15 00:50:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8035870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QianLan/pseuds/QianLan
Summary: When you touch your soulmate for the first time—skin to skin—it leaves a permanent mark on both of you at the site of the touch.  The pigmentation varies, person to person, but the sensation is the same: a light, not-quite-burning feeling and then the mark, which will never fade.No other touch will produce that reaction.  Only your soulmate can make your soulmark.(newly added ending--for those of you who wanted to know what happened)





	1. Chapter 1

 

It seems only to affect humanoid species. 

 

There are rumors it has to do with the chemical composition of their skins, that it is the aftereffect of a biochemically-induced disease introduced into the galaxy centuries ago, but whatever causes it, there’s no denying it happens.

 

When you touch your soulmate for the first time—skin to skin—it leaves a permanent mark on both of you at the site of the touch.  The pigmentation varies, person to person, but the sensation is the same: a light, not-quite-burning feeling and then the mark, which will never fade.

 

No other touch will produce that reaction.  Only your soulmate can make your soulmark.

 

Most humanoid species have adapted to this peculiarity with customs to try to prevent beings from touching accidentally. 

 

This explains why, until they find their soulmates, most humanoids prefer to be fully clothed at all times in public and why children have to be taught at an early age not to reach out for strangers or new friends. 

 

You have to curb that instinct to touch early on. 

 

While the soulmate bond doesn’t happen in blood relations, there are enough non-blood relations in a typical child’s life to make their first few years a nightmare for parents.

 

But honestly, it doesn’t get any easier when you grow up. 

 

Humanoids learn very early on to cover themselves, to keep to their personal space, to avoid crowds.

 

Introductions are anxious rituals.  Some beings want to test every other being they meet; others are reluctant to expose their skin to any but their closest friends.

 

Even so, by the time you’re in your teens, you’ve done the testing ritual hundreds, if not thousands, of times.

 

When you do decide to move forward with the test, though, there is a standard procedure.  It varies from culture to culture, community to community, but for many humanoids, it typically involves the hands.

 

In the Resistance, you remove your gloves and hold out your hand, two fingers out to touch the pulse point—and then you and your testing partner touch each other at the same time. 

 

There are other versions of the test, of course.  But regardless of how it is initiated, it tends to foster the same feelings: both hope and dread as your skin touches another’s for the first time.  The odds of meeting your soulmate are low, but that doesn’t stop people from trying.

 

The good thing is, though, once you’ve gone through the test, even if you haven’t found your soulmate, you can now touch the other person without fear.  You can relax around them in a way you can’t with most other humanoids.

 

And yet, the exhaustion of knowing that you must repeat the test with nearly every other humanoid you meet is overwhelming.

 

Of course, once you’ve found your soulmate—assuming you’re one of the lucky few—you can relax; you can touch anyone without fear of leaving a mark.  Still, it’s considered bad form to flaunt your freedom in front of others.

 

That may be why so many beings complain about the rift between those with soulmates and those without.  The strains on friendships.  The petty jealousies that erupt.  Those with the freedom to touch and those without…

 

# # # #

 

Poe has always hated gloves; he takes his off any chance he gets.  And he’ll engage in the test with just about any being in his vicinity.  Not so much in search of his soulmate—although he has faith that there is someone out there and that he’s going to find them—but because Poe craves touch.

 

Within five minutes of meeting Lor San Tekka, Poe’s gloves are off.  The older man laughs and shakes his head.  “No worries,” he says.  “I found my soulmate long ago.”

 

In the chaos of the First Order attack, Poe leaves his gloves in the old man’s hut.

 

As the Stormtroopers push him down in front of Kylo Ren, he realizes this and he begins shaking.  As they pull him onto the transport, Poe is hyper aware of his hands—they are exposed, vulnerable.  Thank goodness the First Order seems intent on keeping most of its members in full-body armor at all times. 

 

They use an interrogation droid.  Poe is in pain, but he is thankful that the risks of touch are low, and even when Kylo Ren comes in, Poe is secretly relieved that the man doesn’t take off his gloves or mask. 

 

Poe has known the fear of torture before, but it becomes that much more unsettling combined with the fear that he might touch someone, that his soulmate might be here in the middle of the First Order.

 

# # # #

 

Finn is hyper aware of his gloves as he yanks the man around the corner.  _What in the kriff is this nerf-herder thinking wandering around without gloves on?  Does everyone in the Resistance walk around uncovered?_

 

As he takes off his helmet, he realizes how exposed it makes him feel.  And yet, when he looks into the pilot’s eyes, he fights the urge to pull off his gloves and finally know what another’s hands must feel like.

 

**# # # #**

 

When he wakes up in the desert, alone, Finn pushes down the disappointment and begins divesting himself of his armor, his protection.  It’s terrifying, but he’s not going to live by the First Order’s rules anymore.

 

He pulls on Poe’s jacket.  _It’s not the same as skin against skin_ , he figures, but it’s as close as he’s going to get.

 

# # # #

 

He marvels at how exposed the people are here.  So much skin—he’s never seen anything like it before.

 

She offers him her hand, and Finn hesitates before taking it.  He holds his breath.

 

A part of him is disappointed when no mark appears. 

 

She smiles at him, seeming to understand.

 

# # # #

 

He’s careful to grab Poe by the shoulders.  _Only touch his clothes_ , Finn’s brain screams.  He has to fight the urge, though, to reach out and touch Poe’s lip when Poe bites it.

 

# # # #

 

Poe stares down at Finn’s comatose body.  He’s never wanted to touch another being more in his life, but he would never initiate skin on skin contact with someone against their will.  So, he frowns and he paces and he hovers until the medical staff kick him out.

 

Then, he sneaks back in and simply sits by Finn’s bed, wishing and hoping.

 

Finn wakes up after six days.  He spends another month in rehab.

 

Poe doesn’t avoid him.  He does avoid the subject, though.  And he always wears his gloves.

 

# # # #

 

Finn realizes that the Resistance rules concerning skin are a bit more lax than what he’s used to.  Seems most people elect to test with as many of their fellow soldiers as possible.  There’s lots of hand holding and slaps on the back and kissing.  And it doesn’t make Finn uncomfortable, per se.  He just has a hard time accepting this new freedom.

 

Finn also wonders why Poe hasn’t broached the subject.

 

In the month since he’s been out of rehab, twelve different Resistance soldiers have offered to test with him.  He’s politely declined each time.  He’s realized most people test out of hope, but the testing ritual makes him nervous.  _What if it’s someone else_ , he thinks. 

 

_What if I’ve already chosen who I want?_

 

**# # # #**

 

They are sitting on a hill overlooking the base.  Poe is a good three feet away.  Finn lays back in the grass, missing his Stormtrooper armor—if for no other reason than it allows you to get a hell of a lot closer to your friends.

 

Eventually, Poe asks, “What was the skin ritual in the First Order?”

 

“There wasn’t one,” Finn says.

 

“What do you mean there wasn’t one?”

 

“I mean exactly that, Poe.  There wasn’t one.  You were never allowed to come into skin to skin contact with another person.  Those that did got sent to reconditioning.”

 

“So you’ve never touched anyone else before?  I mean, skin to skin?”

 

Finn shakes his head.  “Rey,” he says and then he quickly adds, “We’re not.”

 

“Do you want to go through the ritual here?  It’s not that hard to test in big groups like this. I’m sure I could set you up with some of the pilots, if you want.”

 

“What’s the point?”

 

“Man, you’re really in a mood, aren’t you?”

 

“I just don’t see the point, Poe.”

 

“Why?”

 

“If it isn’t Rey and it isn’t you…”

 

“We haven’t touched yet, though.”

 

Finn looks over at him.  “But seriously, Poe, what are the odds?  Most people never find their soulmate.  They spend their lives wearing gloves and avoiding others and it…well, it gets to be habit, doesn’t it?”

 

“Not for me,” Poe says. 

 

Finn looks at him and squints against the sun.  “What do you mean?”

 

“I love touch.  Sorry, I know that’s strange or whatever, but I’ve always been a tactile person.  I try to do the ritual as soon as I can with a being so that I can take the damn gloves off and just be myself around them.  I hate the way things are, with everyone so scared to get close to everyone else.”

 

“So you’d be okay with a soulmark on your face or something like that if it meant you got to be more free with your touch?”

 

“If I had my soulmate, hell yes, I’d be okay with it.”  Poe picks up a rock and throws it into the distance.  “I just don’t know when this thing turned into such a burden.  It’s about finding your fit, for crying out loud, that person who will stick with you no matter what.”  Poe hugs his knees.  “I hate that I can’t touch you without you flinching.”

 

“So why haven’t you tried to initiate the ritual with me?”

 

“I figured you needed your space, and I didn’t know what First Order rituals were like.  I didn’t want to overwhelm you.”

 

Finn rolls his eyes.  “It’s a stupid three-second thing; it’s not going to overwhelm me.”  He stands up.  “Fine.  Come on.”  He pulls off his gloves.  “Let’s get this over with.  How do you do it here?”

 

Poe stands up slowly, but leaves his gloves on.  “Usually, hands out, two fingers to the pulse point of the wrist,” he demonstrates with his two hands, “like this.”

 

“Okay, so let’s do it.”  Finn holds out his hand.

 

Poe stares at it and then up at Finn.  “Do you want it to be me?”

 

Finn says, “What does it matter?  The odds that we’re soulmates are astronomical.  Let’s just do this so we can move on.”

 

“No,” Poe says.

 

“What?”

 

“Do you want it to be me?”

 

Finn steps forward.  There is still about a foot of space between them, but in most humanoid societies, this is considered crowding.  “What does it matter?”

 

“It matters to me.”

 

“Why?”

 

Poe bites his lip and then looks at his feet.  “Because I had to fight not to take your hand in med bay, not to mention wanting to touch your cheek or rub the top of your head.  Watching Rey kiss your forehead was excruciating.”  He looks up.  “And I get that you love her and that this doesn’t mean as much to you as it does to me, but I’ve never wanted something more in my entire life.”  Poe kicks at the dirt and then looks back up at Finn.  “You know what, forget it.”  He turns and walks away.  “Maybe it’s better if I never know.”

 

Finn stands there in shock for ten seconds.  Then, he gets mad.  “Poe!  Poe Dameron!”  He runs after Poe, catching up with him on the tarmac.  He grabs Poe’s arm and spins him around.

 

Poe jerks his arm out of Finn’s grasp.  “Don’t.”

 

Finn holds out his bare hand. 

 

People are staring.

 

“No,” Poe hisses.  “I…this isn’t what I wanted.”

 

“You want us to be soulmates.”

 

“Yeah, but you’ve made it clear—”

 

“I’ve made it clear that I gave up on that a long time ago, Poe.  The First Order taught us that believing in your mate was a sure way to get yourself reconditioned or killed.  I buried that thought until…”  Finn stares at his hand.  “I thought you were dead, and yeah, when she reached out, I hoped.  It would’ve been nice.  But…”  Finn looks around at the crowd that is gathering and loses his nerve.  “Poe would you just,” Finn reaches over and grabs Poe’s arm.

 

Poe shrugs out of Finn’s grip.  “Fine,” Poe spits out, jerking his glove off.  He starts to reach out for Finn in the usual manner, but then he stops, abruptly pulling his hand back.

 

“Poe?”

 

“Just wait a minute,” Poe says.  He steps back and unzips his flight suit, pulling it down and offering his bare arm to Finn.

 

Finn looks from Poe’s arm to his eyes.  “I thought the standard ritual was hands.”

 

“Damn the standard ritual.  If you’re my soulmate, I get to choose where I want the mark, and I want the mark on my damn arm, okay?”

 

Finn smiles.  “Okay.”  He shrugs off Poe’s jacket and pulls off his shirt.

 

There are several gasps from the onlookers.

 

Poe turns to them.  “I know that all of you have something better to do, so get back to work.”  When none of them moves, he barks, “Now!”

 

As the crowd starts scattering, Finn points to his left side, just above his waist.  “There, okay?”

 

“Upper arm,” Poe says, pointing, “here.”

 

Finn nods.

 

“So, we’re gonna do this,” Finn asks.

 

“Yep.  Count of three,” Poe says, stepping forward.

 

“Count of three,” Finn repeats.

 

“One.”

 

“Two.”

 

“Three…”

 

 


	2. Coda

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot of people (lovingly) yelled at me for ending Skin Rituals on a cliffhanger, so here is the ending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a rough week. Have a happy ending on me.

 

 

General Organa walks out to the tarmac on her way to talk with Karé when she notices a group of soldiers staring off into the distance. 

 

She focuses on what’s got their attention and lets out a sigh.  “Poe,” she mutters.  _Of course, it’s Dameron_.  He’s wrapped himself around someone on the far side of the tarmac, and it looks like neither of them is going to come up for air anytime soon. 

 

And their shirts are off.  _Of course, their shirts are off_ , she thinks.  She stares up to the heavens.  _What did I do to deserve Poe Dameron?_

 

She smiles and starts forward and then stops when she gets a good look at the person Poe is clinging to.  _Finn?_    Her smile widens.  _Good taste, Dameron._

As she passes the crowd of onlookers, she doesn’t raise her voice, just merely notes, “I’m sure all of you were just about to get back to work.”  She doesn’t slow down or wait for a response.  There are a lot of shuffling feet and mumbled apologies as she passes, but she doesn’t care.  She keeps walking.

 

When she’s about five feet away, she stops and clears her throat.  She waits ten seconds and clears it again, louder.  Finally, she shouts, “Poe!”

 

Poe and Finn push off of each other, wiping their mouths, blushing and realizing they are both standing in front of her shirtless.  Finn’s arms cross in front of his chest.  Poe slowly starts working back into his flight suit.

 

“Yes, General?” Poe says, unable to wipe the wide grin off his face.

 

“Maybe we should move this indoors,” she suggests.

 

“Of course, ma’am,” Poe says.  He nods to Finn’s shirt on the ground and Finn scrambles for it, pulling it on inside out. 

 

From inside the shirt, Leia can hear.  “Sorry, ma’am.  Won’t happen again.”

 

“Oh, I doubt that,” Leia says, chuckling as she turns on her heel.  She stops and looks over her shoulder at Poe.  “Nice mark, Commander.”

 

Poe stops to regard the handprint on his left bicep and if it’s possible, his grin gets even wider.  “Isn’t it?”

 

Leia smirks.  “I’m guessing you would like a day or two of personal leave?”

 

“If it’s possible,” Poe says, looking over at Finn, who is trying to focus anywhere other than Leia Organa’s eyes.

 

Leia nods.  “And Finn too?”

 

“Yes, please, ma’am,” Finn says, staring at her shoes.

 

“Consider it done,” Leia says. 

 

Her eyes are soft as she turns back towards the tarmac.  Her hand instinctively reaches for her neck, where a handprint marks her skin.  She lets out a short sigh, remembering, and then refocuses on the task at hand.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, you can find me on tumblr: @cha-llamala


End file.
